Tim Holtz Distress Powder

Okay, I love Tim Holtz distress inks and embossing so I thought I'd try the embossing distress powder...

So, is there a trick to this? It says to heat it up and then gently rub the "crystals" away, but it seems to just rub the top off and become like ink (no raised/texture anymore). I tried heating it for longer but not much difference.

Am I doing something wrong??

Any advice would be appreciated.

Good question! I had the same issues with it. Love it but it doesn't seem to work the way I thought it would either. I hope someone knows what to do...

I didn't see a difference when I rubbed the distress powder...maybe someone has a tip for us out there???

I asked Bev at my LCS about this and she said to play with it. Heat it up till you think it's done then rub a little spot to see how it comes off. If too much came off heat some more. It's all in the melting of the powder. I guess it takes some getting used to. Play with it for awhile till you get it to what you are wanting. Just make sure you don't do it like me *brunette with blonde roots* and try it on your project image. *g*

I wondered the same thing...if I was doing it wrong. Seems like an awful lot more work for the same effect.

Okay this was frustrating me some I went searching, this is what I found:

Distress Embossing Powders

Ranger is pleased to introduce Distress Embossing Powders, created with our Senior Designer and Educator Tim Holtz. These 12 colors have been formulated to coordinate with Ranger’s Distress Ink line of stamp pads. With their unique texture and matte finish, these powders will give your projects an aged, weathered, and worn look. And best of all, the powders have unique “release crystals” that can be rubbed off after embossing, to give your projects just the right amount of “Distress”!

In order to get the best results from your Distress Powders we have offered some helpful Instructions, Tips and Techniques:

Tips:
1. Shake jar before each use to evenly distribute the release crystals.

2. As with regular embossing, use a well-inked stamp to apply ink to your surface, sprinkle Distress Powder onto image and tap off excess. Emboss using Ranger’s Inkssentials™ Heatit™ Craft Tool or similar Heat Tool until powder turns a slightly deeper tone – unlike traditional powders these will not turn shiny.

3. For best results it is recommended you emboss with Distress Inkâ„¢ inks (yes, the dye inks!), Distress Embossing Inkâ„¢ or the Inkssentials Two Tone Big and Bossyâ„¢ Pad (Clear and Black Embossing Ink together in one pad). Note: If embossing with watermark or pigment inks, you will still get the matte, textured look and feel from the Distress Powders, but you will have less or no rub off.

4. To distress, emboss image and allow to cool for a few seconds. Lightly rub embossed image with your finger or Cut n’ Dry Foam to remove the special release crystals. Some colors release more than others, so don’t worry if some rub off more or less …it’s part of the “aged” look.

5. Because some Distress Embossing Powder colors only change slightly when heated, here is tip for knowing when the embossing is complete: if the feel of the embossing when cooled is like sandpaper, it has been heated enough. If it is too loose like sand on the beach, heat it some more.

6. Some Distress Powders look better on light or dark papers. Practice with all of the colors and you’ll get a better feel on what to expect when embossed.

7. Try a Double Distress embossing technique. Stamp image with chosen Distress Ink stamp pad and emboss with the coordinating Double Distress Powder color. The bottom ink color will show through as you rub off the powder!

Double Distress Color Chart
Antique Linen/Tattered Rose
Old Paper/Milled Lavender
Tea Dye/Mustard Seed
Vintage Photo/Peeled Paint
Walnut Stain/Weathered Wood
Black Soot/Fired Brick

7. For a textured, aged effect, take a piece of Cut n’ Dry Foam with Distress or Clear Embossing Ink on it, accent areas of paper, wood or paper mache and emboss with Distress Powders.

8. To create a wonderful combination of color and texture, crumple a tag and hit high points with Clear Embossing Ink using Cut n’ Dry Foam. Emboss with Distress Powders and allow to cool. Ink another piece of Cut n’ Dry Foam with coordinating color of Distress Ink and rub over embossed tag. This will remove the release crystals as well as ink the background of the tag – amazing results!

As with all Ranger products, we recommend that you experiment and play with different colors and techniques to achieve your desired look.

I'm going to try it out tonight and let you all know how it goes...

Well...I think I found my problem. I used Versamark and none of the powder rubbed off. Thanks for the tip!

It really does work best, at least for a "visual" effect, if you use a contrasting color....

My favorite thing about them is that they don't really get a "shine" like most embossing powder.

Okay so tried out the suggestions above and yes it does work better if you use the distress ink as the base color (instead of a clear embossing pad)and definately have to heat for twice or even three times as long as regular embossing powder.

So, yeah it works, it looks kinda cool but it still isn't really what I expected...although I'm not really sure what I expected either!!

I just bought some but haven't used it yet but thanks for the info!

Yup, I used versamark too...gonna have to try w/ distress ink! thanks for the heads up!

thanks so much for posting this info. i was so bummed when i got my powders and they looked dull! i can't wait to try this tomorrow.